Sparkling century by Babar Azam and brilliant bowling by bowlers steered Stallions to a thrashing 174-run victory over Dolphins in the seventh match of the Champions One-Day Cup at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad, on Thursday.
Babar Azam’s unbeaten century (104 runs) and an outstanding combined bowling effort, led by Jahandad Khan and Mehran Mumtaz (3 wickets each), were the cornerstones of Stallions’ emphatic victory.
Winning the toss and electing to bat first, Stallions posted a challenging total of 271/7 in their allotted 50 overs. Babar Azam was the star of the innings, playing a magnificent knock of 104* from 100 balls, laced with seven boundaries and three sixes. Yasir Khan also provided solid support with 46 off 58 balls, while Shan Masood (34) and Tayyab Tahir (33) contributed vital runs at the top of the order. The Dolphins bowlers struggled to contain the run flow, with Mir Hamza, Faheem Ashraf, Abbas Afridi, and others picking up wickets but at a steep cost.
In reply, Dolphins crumbled under the pressure of a disciplined Stallions bowling attack, getting bowled out for a mere 97 runs in 25 overs. Jahandad Khan spearheaded the Stallions’ attack with a superb 3-wicket haul, conceding just 18 runs, while Mehran Mumtaz also claimed three scalps, giving away only 14 runs. Abrar Ahmed and Haris Rauf chipped in with two wickets each, sealing a comprehensive win for the Stallions.
Sahibzada Farhan offered some resistance for Dolphins, scoring 36 off 32 balls, but none of the other batsmen managed to build substantial partnerships, leading to a swift collapse. The Stallions’ bowlers were clinical, ensuring Dolphins never recovered from their early setbacks.
PLAYING XI
STALLIONS: Shan Masood, Yasir Khan, Babar Azam, Tayyab Tahir, Mohammad Haris (wk and captain), Hussain Talat, Jahandad Khan, Mehran Mumtaz, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed and Mohammad Ali.
DOLPHINS: Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Huraira, Umar Amin, Saud Shakeel (captain), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Qasim Akram, Faheem Ashraf, Asif Ali, Abbas Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem and Mir Hamza.
